Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 51

Devanagari script

रुद्राध्यायेन ये देवं स्नापयंति महेश्वरम् । तज्जलैः कुर्वतः स्नानं ते मृत्युं संतरंति च

Transliteration

rudrādhyāyena ye devaṃ snāpayaṃti maheśvaram | tajjalaiḥ kurvataḥ snānaṃ te mṛtyuṃ saṃtaraṃti ca

Translation

ருத்ராத்யாயம் ஓதி தேவ மகேஸ்வரரை ஸ்நாபனம் செய்பவர்கள், மேலும் அந்தப் புனித நீரால் தாமே ஸ்நானம் செய்பவர்கள்—மரணத்தைத் தாண்டிச் செல்கின்றனர்।

Word by Word

• रुद्राध्यायेन: by the Rudra-chapter (recitation)
• रुद्राध्यायेन: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र + अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘रुद्रस्य अध्यायः’)

• ये: those who
• ये: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन; सम्बन्धक-सर्वनाम

• देवम्: the god
• देवम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• स्नापयन्ति: bathe (cause to be bathed)
• स्नापयन्ति: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्ना (धातु) + णिच् (causative)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative) ‘स्नापयति’ = causes to bathe

• महेश्वरम्: Maheshvara (the Great Lord)
• महेश्वरम्: कर्म (Appositional object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā + ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (‘महान् ईश्वरः’)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that’ (referring to the water thereof)

• जलैः: with waters
• जलैः: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• कुर्वतः: of those who perform/do
• कुर्वतः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ) ‘कुर्वत्’; षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), द्विवचन/बहुवचन-रूप (contextually plural); पुंलिङ्ग; ‘of those doing’

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• ते: they
• ते: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• मृत्युम्: death
• मृत्युम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• सन्तरन्ति: cross over/overcome
• सन्तरन्ति: क्रिया (Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √तॄ (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-बोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

Speaker

Mahāmuni (to the King) (contextual attribution within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa narration)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Rudrābhiṣeka-jala (prasāda)

Type: temple

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A Śiva-liṅga on a pedestal being bathed while a priest recites Rudrādhyāya; streams of water flow into a vessel; devotees later pour that consecrated water over their heads, symbolically stepping across a dark river labeled ‘mṛtyu’.

Characters & Entities

• Maheśvara
• Rudrādhyāya

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Śiva-abhiṣeka accompanied by Rudrādhyāya recitation sanctifies both worshipper and water, granting victory over mortality (mṛtyu-bhaya).

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No particular site is specified; the verse glorifies the rite of Rudrādhyāya-based abhiṣeka itself.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Perform abhiṣeka of Maheśvara with Rudrādhyāya recitation, and bathe with the abhiṣeka water (tad-jala).